Leveling attachment for step-ladders.



Patented Mar. 6, i900.

m. A. BAETZ. LEVELING ATTACHMENT FOR STEP LADDERS.

(Application filed Aug. 10, 1899.) (No Model.)

/N VENTOR I ATTORNEY NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVELING ATTACHMENT FOR STEP-LADDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,567, dated March 6,1900. Application filed August 10, 1899. Serial No. 726,738. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAX ANTHONY BAETZ, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Asbury Park, county of Monmouth, and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LevelingAttachments for Step-Ladders, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof,in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to an improved ad-.

justable leveling attachment for step-ladders and the like, and hasforits object to provide a device which when attached to the lower endsof the sides of a step-ladder affords a means for leveling the same whenplaced upon uneven ground. I attain this object by the deviceillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective View of a step-ladder with my device attached. Fig. 2 is anenlarged view of the device with front plate removed. Fig. 3 is a viewof the device with plate complete and shows by dotted lines themechanism disengaged to allow the extensionrod to be adjusted. Fig. tisa side view showing the method of fastening the device to the side of astep ladder. Fig. 5 is a top view of my device shown partly in section,and Fig. 6 is a view showing the lower guide-piece.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts.

In the practice of my invention I provide a plate A, upon which I mounta pawl B, which engages in the teeth a upon an extension-rod O. The saidextension-rod 0. moves upon the plate A between the projections a anda", formed upon the said plate A. An arm D, having an eccentric end (1,is mounted upon the plate A at d. The eccentric end d engages againstthe upper end of the pawl B. A spring E is mounted on the plate A at e,the free end of the spring E engaging against the lower end 6' of thepawl B.

The plate F is fastened to the aforesaid plate A by means of'the boltsf. The said plate F is employed to keep the mechanism in position andact as a covering for the same.

The lower end of the extension-rod 0 moves in the guide G, formed uponthe base-piece G. The said base-piece G is fastened to the side of theladder H by means of the bolts 9,

formed upon the said base-piece G.

The bolts f are provided with small indentations f, and in assemblingthe different parts of my device a lip or tongue f is formed upon theplate A by forcing a part of said plate into the indentation f. Thisacts to hold the parts together. The bolts f also afford means forfastening my device to the side of a step-ladder. The bolts pass throughthe side of the step-ladder,and the plate or washer J is put on over theends of the bolts f and the nuts f are fastened in position against theplate J.

Fig. 2 shows the extension-rod locked in position. To adjust or changethe position of the extension-rod C, the arm D is pulled back, allowingthe pawl B to disengage itself from the teeth a on the rod C, as shownby dotted lines in Fig. 3. The rod may then be moved up and down as faras desired and when properly set is locked in position again by bringingthe arm D down, thereby forcing the pawl to again engage with the teetha.

This device is not limited in its use to stepladders, but may be usedupon any portable piece of furniture, such as scaffolds, tables,platforms, &c.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination in an adjustableleveling attachment of front and back plates, an extension rod providedwith ratchet teeth and movable between said front and back plates,a pawlmounted between said front and back plates and adapted to engage in saidratchet-teeth upon said rod and employed as a means for locking thesaid. rod in position, an arm pivotally mounted between the aforesaidplates and formed with an eccentric end which engages against the pawland is employed to engage and disengage the said pawl and the aforesaidratchet-teeth upon the said rod, and a spring also mounted between theaforesaid plates and securely fastened at one end, the free end engagingagainst the lower end of the pawl and adapted to normallykeep the pawlin contact with the eccentric end of the aforesaid arm, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination in an adjustable level ing attachment of front andback plates, an

extension rod provided with ratchet teeth and movable between said frontand back plates, projections formed upon the said back plate and actingas a guide for theextensionrod to movein, a pawl mounted between saidfront and back plates and adapted to engage in said ratchet-teeth uponthe said rod and employed in conjunction with an operatingarm tosecurely lock said pawl and rod in position, an arm pivotally mountedbetween the aforesaid plates and formed with an eccentric end whichengages against the pawl and is employed to operate the said pawl, aspring also mounted between the aforesaid plates and securely fastenedat one end, the free end engaging against the lower end of the pawl andadapted to normally keep the pawl in contact with the eccentric end ofthe aforesaid arm, and a guide-piece fastened to side of step-ladder andformed to allow the lower end of said extension-rod to move in it,substantially as described.

b. The combination in an adj nstable leveling attachment, of anextension-rod movable in and held between a front and back plate, saidextension rod provided with ratchetteeth, a pawl and operating-armmounted be-,

tween the said plates and employed to lock the extension-rod inposition, a spring also mounted between the said plates and engagingagainst the lowerend of said pawl, attachingbolts extending through thedevice and adapted to hold the mechanism together and afford a means forfastening the side of the step-ladder, and a plate or washer adapted tobe fastened against the side of the stepladder under fastening-nuts,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signedmyname, in presence of two witnesses, this 4th day of August, 1899.

MAX ANTHONY BAETZ. [as] Witnesses:

ADAM SGHMITT,

MOON.

